Heat Radiating Fin

ABSTRACT

A heat radiating fin includes a flat body, two flange portions formed at two opposite edges of the flat body, and two inward bent locking ends formed at two lateral ends of each of the flange portions to space from the flat body by a distance. When two or more of the heat radiating fins are stacked to form a thermal module, the locking ends of a second heat radiating fin extend beyond the first heat radiating fin via the spaces between the locking ends and the flat body of the first heat radiating fin to upward abut against the flat body of the first heat radiating fin, so that the first heat radiating fin is firmly held to the second heat radiating fin.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat radiating fin, and more particularly to a heat radiating fin provided with two opposite flange portions having two locking ends each, so that two or more of the heat radiating fins can be quickly stacked and assembled together to form, a thermal module via the locking ends.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Among others, there is a type of heat radiating fin being formed by cutting a sheet metal material into shapes. Such conventional heat radiating fin is provided at an edge with two spaced 90-degree downward bent lugs. When two or more of the heat radiating fins are stacked to form a thermal module, the lugs on a second heat radiating fin are abutted against a top surface of an adjacent first heat radiating fin. Alternatively, the above-described conventional heat radiating fin may be further provided on the lugs with a slot and a retainer each. When two or more of the heat radiating fins are stacked to form a thermal module, the lugs on the second heat radiating fin are abutted against the top surface of the adjacent first heat radiating fin, and the slots on the lugs of the second heat radiating fin are engaged with the retainers on the lugs of the adjacent first heat radiating fin to thereby hold the first heat radiating fin to the second heat radiating fin. To achieve the above-mentioned stacking and assembling of the conventional heat radiating fins, the heat radiating fins must be bent at one edge to form the lugs, and the lugs must then be machined to form the slots and the retainers.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are partially bottom exploded and fully assembled perspective views, respectively, of a thermal module formed from a plurality of sequentially stacked conventional heat radiating fins 1. As shown, each of the heat radiating fins 1 has two opposite edges being symmetrically provided with two downward, bent lugs 11 each. Each of the lugs 11 includes a front slotted latch portion 111 and a rear retainer portion 112.

When two or more of the heat radiating fins 1 are stacked to form a thermal module, the lugs 11 of a second heat radiating fin 1 are pressed against a top surface 12 of a first heat radiating fin 1, and the front, slotted latch portions 111 of the second heat radiating fin 1 are engaged with the rear retainer portions 112 of the first heat radiating fin 1 to thereby hold the first heat radiating fin 1 to the second, heat radiating fin 1.

While the conventional heat radiating fins 1 can be stacked to from a thermal module, they have the following disadvantages: (1) the first and the second heat radiating fin 1 are not firmly held together via the engaged latch portions and retainer portions, and tend to separate from one another easily; (2) the fins 1 have a relative complicated structure to result in a large quantity of scraps during manufacturing thereof and accordingly, require higher material and labor costs; and (3) the separated fins 1 are subject to deformation and breaking, and therefore, could not be reused.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved heat radiating fin to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional heat radiating fins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a heat radiating fin having a simplified structure to enable quick assembly and reduced manufacturing cost thereof.

To achieve the above and other objects, the heat radiating fin according to the present invention includes a flat body, two flange portions formed at two opposite edges of the flat body, and two locking ends formed at two lateral ends, of each of the flange portions. Each of the flange portions is formed by downward bending an edge of the flat body by 90 degrees. Each of the lateral ends of the flange portions 21 is extended forward and then outward again by a predetermined distance, and then bent inward by a predetermined angle to form the locking end. A space is existed between each of the locking ends and a bottom surface of the flat body.

When two or more of the heat radiating fins are stacked to form a thermal module, the flange portions of a second heat radiating fin are in contact with a top surface of an adjacent first heat radiating fin, and the locking ends of the second heat radiating fin extend beyond the first heat radiating fin via the spaces between the locking ends of and the flat body of the first heat radiating fin to upward abut against the bottom surface of the first heat radiating fin, so that the first heat radiating finds firmly held to the second heat radiating fin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted toy the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood toy referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of a thermal module assembled from a plurality of stacked conventional heat radiating fins;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a heat radiating fin according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of a thermal module assembled from a plurality of stacked heat radiating fins of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 3 that is a perspective view of a heat radiating fin according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the heat radiating fin has a flat body 2 and two flange portions 21. The flange portions 21 are symmetrically formed, by downward bending two opposite edges of the flat body 2, so that a right angle is contained between each, of the two flange portions 21 and a bottom surface 23 of the flat body 2. Each of the two flange portions 21 has two lateral ends formed into two symmetrical locking ends 211. Each of the two lateral ends of the flange portion 21 is extended forward and then, outward again by a predetermined distance 26, and then bent inward by a predetermined angle 25. The inward bent portion of the lateral end of the flange portion 21 forms the locking end 211. Since, the lateral ends of the flange export ions 21 are extended forward before being bent to form the locking ends 211, there is a space 22 formed between each of the locking ends 211 and the bottom surface 23.

Please refer to FIG. 4 that is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of a thermal module assembled from a plurality of stacked heat radiating, fins of the present invention. As shown, when a second heat radiating fin is stacked on a top surface 24 of a first heat radiating fin, the inward bent locking ends 211 of the second heat radiating fin naturally slide downward beyond the first heat radiating fin via the spaces 22 between the locking ends 221 and the bottom surface 23 of the first heat radiating fin to upward abut against the bottom surface 23 of the first heat radiating fin and thereby firmly hold the first heat radiating fin to the second treat radiating fin.

FIG. 5 is a fully assembled view of FIG. 4. As shown, when a plurality of the heat radiating fins of the present invent ion are sequentially stacked, the flange portions 21 of a second heat radiating fin are forward in contact with the top surface of the first heat radiating fin along the two flanged edges of the flat body. With the space 22 existed between each locking end 211 and the bottom surface 23 of each heat radiating fin, any two adjacent ones of the stacked heat radiating fins are spaced by a distance the same as that of the space 22. The locking ends 211 of the second heat radiating fin forward extend beyond the first heat radiating fin via the spaces 22 of the first heat radiating fin to upward abut against the bottom surface 23 thereof. Therefore, the first heat radiating fin is firmly held to the second heat radiating fin by the locking ends 211 of the second heat radiating, fin.

The plurality of heat radiating fins sequentially stacked and assembled in the above-described manner together form a thermal module. Compared to the conventional heat radiating fins 1, the heat radiating fins of the present invention can be more easily and quickly assembled to provide a thermal module. In brief, the heat radiating fins of the present invention provides the following advantages: (1) ensuring stable and firm stacking and assembling thereof to form a thermal module; (2) having simplified, structure to enable easy fabrication and assembly thereof while allowing repeated use thereof; and (3) requiring reduced material to save manufacturing cost thereof.

The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended td be limited only by the appended claims. 

1. A heat radiating fin, comprising a flat body, two flange portions formed at two opposite edges of the flat body, and two locking ends formed at two lateral ends of each of the two flange portions; wherein each of the locking ends is inward bent by a predetermined angle relative to the flange portion, and is spaced from the flat body by a predetermined distance; whereby when two or more of the heat radiating fins are stacked, the locking ends of a second heat radiating fin forward extend beyond a first heat radiating fin via the spaces between the locking ends and the flat body of the first heat radiating fin to upward abut against a bottom surface of the flat body of the first heat radiating fin, so that the first heat radiating fin is firmly held to the second heat radiating fin. 